asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether arrangements have yet been made for future appointments on secondment to the Home Civil Service and Diplomatic Service to be made in compliance with the Civil Service Order in Council 1982.

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced on 18 March 1985 that measures were being taken to provide that future secondments to appointments in the Home Civil Service and Diplomatic Service were made in compliance with the Civil Service Order in Council 1982 and any regulations made under that order. Since that date, such secondments have been subject to the approval of the Civil Service Commissioners, acting under the discretion conferred by article 1(2)(g) of the Order in Council, pending the issue of new regulations.New regulations covering secondments have now been made by the Civil Service Commissioners with the approval of the Minister for the Civil Service and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. These regulations are effective from 1 May 1986. They are designed to provide flexibility in maintaining the programme of inward secondments, to which the Government attach importance because of the benefits it brings to the Departments and individuals concerned, consistent with the Civil Service Commissioners' responsibilities under the 1982 Order in Council. Under the new arrangements, the qualifications of a person being proposed for a secondment which is subject to the new general regulations will need to be approved by the commissioners and no such appointment can be made unless the commissioners have issued their certificate of qualification. The revised general regulations provide the commissioners with a discretionary power to waive the normal requirement of open competition in appropriate cases.A copy of the revised general regulations has been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether his Department is contributing any financial support to the building of a new bridge at Loughor.

We are funding 50 per cent. of the estimated cost of land and works through transport supplementary grant.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what are the levels of unemployment in Wales in those areas currently covered by the business improvement services scheme.

Figures are not available for the precise areas covered by the business improvement scheme, but figures for the nearest equivalent areas are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what are the areas presently covered by the business improvement services scheme, its rate of success and the total cost to the European regional development fund and his Department; what evaluation of the scheme he intends to make and by when; what criteria he will use in considering an extension of the scheme in geographical area and duration; and if he will make a statement.

The areas covered by the business improvement services scheme are the counties of Clwyd, South Glamorgan, West Glamorgan (including those parts of the travel-to-work area of Port Talbot which are situated in the county of Mid Glamorgan), Gwent and the travel-to-work area of Llanelli in the county of Dyfed.Up to 31 March 1986 1,176 applications have been received and 750 offers of grants totaling £3·5 million had been made.The BIS scheme was launched in November 1984 and applications will be accepted up until 31 December 1988. £7·5 million has been allocated of which £5·6 million is from the European regional development fund.Sufficient projects have now been completed to allow an assessment of the scheme and its benefits. The assessment will continue until the scheme ends. Conclusions reached in the course of the assessment will be used to assist any consideration given to extending the scheme or parts of it.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many people were working in the Welsh Office in 1975 and each subsequent year;(2) how many people were working in the different occupational categories in the Welsh Office in 1975 and each subsequent year.

The number of permanent staff working in the Department in 1975 and each subsequent year and their occupational categories are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many people were working in education in Wales in 1975 and each subsequent year;(2) how many people were working in the different occupational categories in education in Wales in 1975 and each subsequent year.

Information for the maintained sector is given in "Welsh Local Government Financial Statistics", No. 8, 1984 (table 66) and No. 9, 1985 (table 67), copies of which are available in the Library. Directly comparable figures for the independent sector are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his response to Professor Dunnett's report on badgers and bovine tuberculosis in so far as it relates to Wales; what is the extent in Wales of bovine tuberculosis; and if he will make a statement.

The immediate response was to act, in concert with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, to modify our badger control policy in England and Wales. Action against badgers is now being confined to that part of the breakdown farm where it is believed that tuberculosis was transmitted to cattle, or to the whole farm if it is not possible to be more precise. It may still be necessary to go on to neighbouring land to find setts so as to assist the identification of badger runs leading to the breakdown farm. A consequence of this change of policy should be that fewer badgers will be killed. Action on other detailed recommendations in Professor Dunnett's report is being deferred pending discussion with the consultative panel on badgers and bovine tuberculosis.In Wales in 1985 infection was confirmed in nine out of 6,822 herds tested. All but one of the infected herds were in south-west Dyfed.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest figures for the proportion of those who have taken part in YTS schemes in Wales who have subsequently found full-time employment; and what proportion subsequently were unemployed in each of the years since the scheme's inception.

Information is not available in the form requested. The Manpower Services Commission has conducted regular follow-up surveys of those leaving YTS schemes since 1984. Postal questionnaires are sent to young people some three months after they leave their scheme. Information covering leavers in Wales between June 1984 and March 1985 is as follows, alongside the latest available information (covering leavers in Wales between April and October 1985).Young people leaving YTS schemes in Wales between:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the current and capital expenditure per head on housing in each of the local authorities in Wales during the last year for which figures are available.

The information is set out in the following tables. The figures for current expenditure are based on a summary of local authorities' housing revenue accounts 1984–85. The figures for capital expenditure are based on gross capital expenditure by local authorities in 1984–85. Expenditure by housing associations in each of the local authority districts is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the number of staff employed by the Wales Tourist Board in 1979 and 1985.

The numbers as at 31 March of each year were:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will re-assess the programme of aid to the Republic of the Philippines; if he has received any communications from the new Administration concerning the British aid programme; and if he will make a statement.

We are currently re-assessing sympathetically the level of our aid programme to the Philippines following the accession of the Aquino Government. The new Administration have so far sought our assistance in providing rural development and broadcasting expertise.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how he proposes to allocate the £6·4 million saved in the financial year 1986–87 by the withdrawal from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation by the United Kingdom.

I intend to allocate the following amounts to the programmes mentioned in my reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Mr. Budgen) on 19 December 1985, at column 241:

asked the Attorney-General whether the Lord Chancellor will be conducting a review of the present mechanism for the reporting of decisions of the Social Security Commissioners; and whether he will consult organisations frequently representing claimants in cases before the commissioners on that issue.

Yes. The arrangements for reporting decisions of the Social Security Commissioners are currently under review. It is intended to consult relevant representative organisations before conclusions are reached.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will take steps to make available to claimants and their representatives at each of the offices of the Social Security Commissioners a set of each of the following decisions of the commissioners for inspection and photocopying: (a) reported decisions, (b) starred decisions, (c) numbered decisions (old series) and (d) unreported decisions.

This is among the matters being considered in the review now in hand of the arrangements governing the availability of decisions of the Social Security Commissioners.

asked the Attorney-General whether as part of the measures being taken to reduce the delays in matters before the social security commissioners, he will be appointing part-time or deputy commissioners.

The Lord Chancellor intends to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultative arrangements are being set in motion with those organisations representing performing artists, sports men and women, regarding the proposed White Paper on reform of the law of copyright.

The White Paper "Intellectual Property and Innovation", which includes proposals for the reform of copyright law, was published on 15 April (Cmnd. 9712). This White Paper takes into account responses to earlier consultative documents, including representations from performing artists, sports men and women. No further formal consultations are envisaged. The Government will, however, consider any representations made to it on the White Paper. My Department has recently agreed to meet two organisations representing performing artists and those engaged in professional sport to discuss issues of copyright and performers' protection.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many prosecutions have taken place under the Fair Trading Act 1973 in relation to pyramid selling up to the latest date for which figures are available;(2) if he will review the working of the Fair Trading Act 1973 in relation to pyramid selling;(3) if he proposes to take any further steps to curb pyramid selling and associated practices.

I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will exercise his powers under section 13 of the Competition Act 1980 to direct the Director General of Fair Trading to carry out an investigation into the current relationship between the cost of crude oil and the price of aviation fuel; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, following the end of the negotiations between General Motors and British Leyland, he has received any statement from General Motors as to its intentions as to the future of their Bedford commercial vehicles operation in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

General Motors has said it intends to review the alternative options for Bedford commercial vehicles and will keep my Department informed.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken following reports to him that a civil servant in his Department has been passing classified material to a Czechoslovakian military attaché when he was first informed of the civil servant's conduct; and if he will make a statement on security standards in his Department and the monitoring requirements at all levels handling classified material with reference to this case in particular.

The official concerned has been suspended from duty while police investigations are carried out. I was first informed of allegations relating to this official late on the evening of 12 April 1986.Security arrangements in my Department are in accordance with the standards and procedures laid down for all Government Departments. All staff are informed of the Department's security procedures including those which apply to the protection, transmission, storage and copying of classified material. The conduct of staff in these respects, as in other matters, is supervised by line management.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, in view of the fact that the United States Government has announced its intention to include chamois leather in a list of items drawn up for retaliatory action against the European Economic Community, because of recently levied duties on American agricultural exports by Spain following that country's accession to the Community, he will outline the steps he intends to take to have such leather withdrawn from the list.

Both bilaterally and jointly with our Community partners we are strongly resisting moves by the United States to take unjustified trade measures against the Community as a result of enlargement of the Community. As to chamois leather, my Department is in close touch with the British leather industry and my noble Friend Lord Lucas of Chilworth has discussed these matters with them. The industry is making formal representations to the United States Administration.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the occasions since 1979 when he and the management committee of Burnham have entered negotiations or sought to enter negotiations with teachers' representatives about a more definitive contract of employment for teachers, and how teachers' representatives reacted on each occasion.

In February 1979 the local authority employers and the teacher unions set up a conditions of service working party under the auspices of the CLEA-ST committee. It reported in December 1980 that it had not succeeded in agreeing proposals for a new contract.In March 1981 the management panel proposed in the Burnham committee a joint working party on salary structure. The teachers' panel agreed to this. The work of the joint working party lasted for some three years and in practice covered the structure of jobs as well as the structure of pay. It culminated in the proposal by the local authority employers in November 1984 of a new salary structure and an identification of the contractual duties and responsibilities of each post. This fell in December 1984 when the NUT majority on the teachers' panel walked out of the discussions. Representatives of the other teaching unions emphasised that in their view the proposals, though not acceptable, were worth discussing in detail.In September 1985 the management panel made an offer in the Burnham committee which included a contractual definition of teachers' duties. That offer was unanimously rejected by the teachers' panel after the briefest consideration.In January 1986 the management panel entered talks at ACAS which resulted in the signing of an agreement with five teaching unions. The agreement committed the parties to it to negotiate constructively and expeditiously on, amongst other things, a clear definition of the contractual duties and responsibilities (including defined limitations) of teachers and their employers. The NUT refused to sign the agreement and has maintained that stance. Talks are proceeding between the management panel and the signatory unions under an independent panel appointed by ACAS.Officials of my Department are members of the management panel of the Burnham committee. I have not sought to enter separate negotiations about a contract of employment with the teaching unions whose members are not my employees.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the occasions since 1979 when he and the management committee of Burnham have entered negotiations, or sought to enter negotiations, with teachers' representatives about a more formalised system of appraisal for teachers, and how teachers' representatives reacted on each occasion.

Appraisal was on the agenda of the Burnham joint working party on salary structure which met from 1981 to 1984. The work of this group, including proposals relating to appraisal, fell in December 1984 when the NUT majority on the teachers' side walked out of the discussions. The Burnham management panel's offer of 12 September 1985 included a contractual definition of teachers' duties which incorporated appraisal of performance. This offer was unanimously rejected by the teachers' panel after the briefest consideration. In January 1986 the management panel entered talks at ACAS which resulted in the signing of an agreement with five teaching unions. The agreement committed the parties to negotiate constructively and expeditiously on, amongst other things, arrangements for appraisal and training to ensure that teachers at all levels remain properly equipped for their tasks and to assist towards teachers' career development and fair selection for posts carrying leadership responsibilities. The NUT refused to sign the agreement and has maintained that stance. Talks are proceeding between the management panel and the signatory unions under an independent panel appointed by ACAS. Officials of my Department are members of the management panel of the Burnham committee. I have not sought to enter separate negotiations about a more formalised system of appraisal for teachers with the teaching unions, whose members are not my employees, but on a number of occasions I have discussed with teachers' representatives the Government's policy on appraisal.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the total cost of teachers' salaries in England and Wales, including national insurance and superannuation contributions, each year since 1975, in money terms, real terms as measured against the retail prices index and as a percentage annual change in real terms.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why he considers that teachers should have a more definitive contract of employment.

I believe that, if there is to be improved performance and quality in the schools, it is vital that teachers should know what is expected of them. Teachers' employers and indeed society as a whole should know what they can reasonably expect of teachers.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why he considers that teachers should be subject to a more formalised system of appraisal.

The Government's view of the need for appraisal was set out in "Better Schools" in March 1985:

"The regular and formal appraisal of the performance of all teachers is necessary if local education authorities are to have the reliable, comprehensive and up-to-date information necessary for the systematic and effective provision of professional support and development and the deployment of staff to best advantage."

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the content and nature of the more definitive contract of employment for teachers which he is seeking.

A statement of the Government's provisional view on the duties which should form part of teachers' contractual responsibilities was appended to my letter of 21 May 1985 to Councillor Merridale, which was published in my reply to the hon. Members for Gainsborough and Horncastle (Mr. Leigh), for Coventry, South-East (Mr. Nellist), for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock), for Warwickshire, North (Mr. Maude), for Langbaurgh (Mr. Holt), and for Newport, East (Mr. Hughes) on 22 May 1985, at columns 446–48. The Government have since accepted that midday supervision should not form part of teachers' duties under their main contract of employment.

The table shows the total cost of teachers' salaries in England, including national insurance and superannuation contributions, in each year since 1975 in money terms and in real terms as measured against the retail prices index, together with the annual percentage change in real terms.The figures represent the cost of the salaries of teachers in primary and secondary (excluding special) schools. London weighting is included and social priority and special school allowances excluded.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the detail and implementation of the more formalised system of appraisal for teachers which he is seeking.

I set out the sorts of arrangements which I have in mind for operating systematic appraisal of teachers' performance in a speech to an Industrial Society Conference on 14 April 1986. I shall send my hon. Friend a copy of that speech.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment he has made of the implications of changes in the tasks confronting teachers over the past 10 years; and what proposals he has to help teachers to cope with such changing circumstances.

The White Paper "Better Schools" (Cmnd. 9469) published in March 1985 dealt with the implications of such changes and in particularly with improving the match between teachers' qualifications and their teaching programme, through more rigorous requirements for initial teacher training including the selection of students, the academic and professional content of their courses and school experience; through more systematic provision of in-service training expressly designed to meet the needs of schools and teachers; through appraisal of the performance of all teachers so that LEAs may make systematic and effective provision for professional support and development; through associating parents and the community served by schools more closely in the work of teachers; and through making the work of local advisers more effective.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what initiatives Her Majesty's Government have taken since 1979 to monitor the use of educational resources to ensure a national standard of performance.

A number of initiatives have been taken since 1979 to promote a more appropriate distribution of resources within education and their more efficient and effective use; among the more significant of these are:

analysis of statistics regularly assembled for monitoring purposes and their presentation in statistical bulletins in a manner relevant to the evaluation of standards and spending;

The education support grant programme which is intended to raise national standards of performance through a number of discrete activities, details of which are given in DES circulars 6/94 and 5/85 (copies are in the Library). The monitoring arrangements vary from activity to activity according to what is appropriate but in all cases the Department is keeping in touch either through regular reports or through regional agents. Her Majesty's Inspectorate is also looking at ESG-supported work in the course of its normal inspection programmes;

the decision to publish the reports of Her Majesty's inspectors. These reports, in particular the three which have been published on the effects of local authorities' expenditure policies on education provision, offer important messages to the education service as a whole about the interplay of various factors which together contribute to the quality of education in the schools and colleges. In its report last year on the effects of local authority expenditure policies on education provision in England in 1984, HMI made it clear that the most crucial factor influencing effective learning was the quality of teaching, followed, in order of importance, by the identification of pupils' and students' needs, the level of resources available and their effective management and deployment.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how much has been spent on maintenance in secondary schools in England and Wales each year since 1975, expressed in money terms, real terms and as an annual percentage change in real terms;

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has on which schools in England are at present wholly unable to use their school premises due to the condition of the school buildings.

My right hon. Friend's attention has been drawn to five such schools. I understand that work is in hand to repair or replace four of them (Gosforth, All Saints; Leeds, Cockburn High; Wakefield, Flanshaw First; and Madeley, St. Mary's) but that a decision has yet to be taken by the local education authority on the fifth school (Lancashire, Burnley Wood).

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how much has been spent on maintenance in primary schools in England and Wales each year since 1975, expressed in money terms, real terms and as an annual percentage change in real terms;(2) how much has been spent on maintenance in primary schools in Hampshire each year since 1975, in money terms, real terms and as a real terms annual percentage change.

The information is as follows:(2) how much has been spent on maintenance in secondary schools in Hampshire each year since 1975, in money terms, real terms and as a real terms annual percentage change.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much capital spending there has been on primary school programmes in Hampshire each year since 1975, expressed in money terms, real terms and as a percentage annual change in real terms.

The information required is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much capital spending there has been on secondary school programmes in Hampshire each year since 1975, expressed in money terms, real terms and as a percentage annual change in real terms.

The information required is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much capital spending there has been on primary school programmes in England and Wales each year since 1975, expressed in money terms, real terms and as an annual percentage annual change in real terms.

The information required is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much capital spending there has been on Secondary school programmes in England and Wales each year since 1975, expressed in money terms, real terms and as an annual percentage change in real terms.

The information required is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consultations he has had with representatives of the agriculture industry regarding the privatisation of part of the Plant Breeding Institute.

Officials of the Department and of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have had discussions with interested bodies, including representatives of the agricultural industry, in connection with the proposed privatisation of part of the PBI.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consideration he has given to the proposals of the Plant Breeding Institute that receipts from sales to companies of new plant and seed varieties by the National Seed Development Organisation be used to finance its work.

My right hon. Friend announced on 18 February, at columns 108–9, that the Government intend to privatise the National Seed Development Organisation and part of the Plant Breeding Institute, provided this can be done on satisfactory terms. Privatisation on those lines would have the advantage of bringing together the breeding and marketing of PBI varieties within a single organisation. Also, a private sector company will be better placed to take commercial decisions about these varieties.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the teacher unions and other organisations which are working towards the introduction of general certificate of secondary education courses in schools this autumn.

Preparations for the GCSE, including the national programme of teacher training, involve the collaboration of the Department, the Secondary Examinations Council, the GCSE examining groups, local education authorities, schools and teachers themselves. The teachers' associations are not directly involved. Two of the teachers' associations, the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers and the National Union of Teachers, have called on their members not to take part in the preparations for the GCSE. But I am pleased to note that the Assistant Masters and Mistresses Association and Professional Association of Teachers have not made similar recommendations to their members. My right hon. Friend and I hope that all teachers, conscious of their responsibilities, will take advantage of the unprecedented programme of preparation to plan and work for the introduction of the new examination courses.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill, about matters raised by four constituents and referred to his Department on 6 March and acknowledged on 7 March.

I wrote to the hon. Member on 11 April.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to reply to the points raised by Dr. R. M. Wadsworth concerning which the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill wrote on 24 January and which his Department acknowledged on 27 January.

I wrote to the hon. Member on 14 April.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many pupils there have been in primary schools in England and Wales each year since 1975; and how many are anticipated each year until 1990, expressed also as an annual percentage change;(2) how many pupils there have been in secondary schools in England and Wales each year since 1975; and how many are anticipated each year until 1990, expressed also as an annual percentage change;(3) how many pupils there have been in primary schools in Hampshire each year since 1975; and how many are anticipated each year until 1990, expressed also as a percentage annual change;(4) how many pupils there have been in secondary schools in Hampshire each year since 1975; and how many are anticipated each year until 1990; expressed also as a percentage annual change.

The full-time equivalent numbers of pupils in maintained primary and secondary schools in Hampshire and in England for each year from 1975 to 1985, and the projected number of these pupils in England from 1986 until 1990 are as follows. Projections for individual local education authorities are not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and 1Science if he will list the means and methods whereby he has sought, and is seeking, to improve standards within schools.

The White Paper "Better Schools" (Cmnd. 9469) describes four linked initiatives to improve standards in schools, in which the Government are taking the lead.

• —pursuing broad agreement on the objectives of the curriculum;
• —introducing reformed examinations together with records of achievements;
• —improving teaching quality in all its aspects;
• —harnessing the energies of parents and others in a reformed system of school government.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the means and methods whereby he has sought, and is seeking, to achieve value for money within the education budget.

The government's aims for all sectors of education include securing the best possible return for the resources available. The Government are taking every opportunity to work with those directly responsible for education spending in order to achieve this aim.Examples of this work are: developing recognised output measures and performance indicators for individual sectors to provide measures of the returns achieved by spending; setting targets for improvements in areas covered by these measures; promoting efficiency studies in specific fields of education, such as the Jarratt report on the universities, the complementary study of good management in public sector higher education by the National Advisory Body, and the joint study with the local authority associations of efficiency in non-advanced further education; making specific grants available to support worthwhile developments in education, and monitoring the results; providing a new system of specific grants for the in-service training of teachers to focus training on priority areas; scrutinising the quality of initial teacher training courses; and scrutiny of various aspects of the Department of Education and Science's internal organisation.The 1986 public expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 9702) gives details of existing output and performance measures.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the means and methods whereby he has sought, and is seeking, to increase parental influence in schools.

The Government firmly believe that schools are the poorer if they fail to harness parents' natural and special interest in their children's progress. The Education Act 1980 made important advances in allowing parents a properly informed role in the school admissions process. It also introduced elected parent governors. Parental influence and involvement will be taken substantially further in the Education Bill currently before Parliament. The parent voice on school governing bodies will be strengthened while the scope for the local education authority to appoint the majority of governors is removed: at the same time, a clear framework of functions will be provided, within which the governing body can play its full part in running the school. Additionally, new arrangements for the governors to hold an annual meeting for parents will provide valuable opportunities for the parent body as a whole to become more closely involved in their children's education.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what has been the total cost of spending on primary schools in England and Wales each year since 1975, expressed in money terms, real terms and as an annual percentage change in real terms;(2) what has been the total cost of spending on primary schools in Hampshire each year since 1975, expressed in money terms, real terms and as a percentage annual change in real terms;(3) what has been the spending per pupil in primary schools in England and Wales each year since 1975, in money and real terms, expressed also as a real terms annual percentage change;(4) what has been the spending per pupil in primary schools in Hampshire each year since 1975, in money and real terms, expressed also as a real terms annual percentage change.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what has been the total cost of spending on secondary schools in England and Wales each years since 1975, expressed in money terms, real terms and as an annual percentage change in real terms;(2) what has been the total cost of spending on secondary schools in Hampshire each year since 1975, expressed in money terms, real terms and as a percentage annual change in real terms;

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representation he has received about the implications for Sunderland polytechnic of the proposals

The information is as follows:of the National Advisory Body for Public Sector Higher Education in relation to the closure of the civil engineering department, and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 15 April 1986, c. 343]: I regret that the answer which I gave on 15 April was in one respect inaccurate. My right hon. Friend had in fact received two letters from hon. Members in relation to the NAB secretariat's consultative proposal that Sunderland polytechnic's department of civil engineering should close, and replies will be sent to the hon. Members as soon as possible.Further, there is a misprint in the last sentence of the second paragraph of my answer of 15 April: "Committee" should read "Secretariat".

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if, when he next meets the chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board, he will raise with him the use to which the board intends to put its land at South Killingholm and the proposal for a coal-fired generating station there.

No. However, I understand that the Board has written to the hon. Member about this matter in reply to his letter of 24 March.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he has had any recent discussions with oil companies about the extent to which the effect on costs of the recent fall in crude oil prices is being passed on to consumers of refined products and, in particular, of aviation fuel; and if he will make a statement.

My Department keeps in regular contact with the oil companies; I hope that oil product prices will continue to fall to reflect the falls in crude oil prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has yet completed his consideration of the response to his consultation document on proposed changes to the industrial injuries scheme; and if he will make a statement.

The Government are grateful for the many helpful suggestions made by the 43 individuals and organisations, including the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council, which commented on the consultation paper._* I am responding separately to the points raised by the council, and placing a copy of my reply to it in the Library. In the light of the responses made, we have decided to proceed as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to bring forward firm proposals following his consultation paper on statutory maternity allowance, published in December 1985; and if he will make a statement.

The consultation paper set out detailed proposals for a statutory maternity allowance to be paid by employers instead of DHSS, on the lines indicated in chapter 5 of "Reform of Social Security" (Cmnd. 9691). 90 responses were received and we are very grateful for the many helpful comments made.Separate from the present maternity allowance scheme administered by DHSS, employers are currently responsible for maternity pay under the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978. A major concern among those commenting was that our proposals would mean that employers would have to operate a second scheme of cash provision for maternity. In the light of this concern we have modified our proposals with the aim of integrating the two schemes as far as possible. This will not only minimise the work for employers, but will represent a more coherent structure of cash support for maternity.The new provision, to be known as statutory maternity pay (SMP), will therefore replace both the existing maternity pay scheme administered by the Department of Employment and the maternity allowance scheme administered by DHSS. We propose a two-tier provision—an earnings-related payment equivalent to 90 per cent. of earnings for six weeks, followed by a flat-rate payment for a further 12 weeks. To qualify for the earnings-related element a woman must have worked for the same employer for at least two years. This is the current requirement under the maternity pay scheme. To qualify for the flat-rate element a woman must have worked for the same employer for at least six months. A woman who has worked for the same employer for between six months and two years will qualify for only the flat-rate element, but for 18 weeks. Women who have decided not to pay full-rate national insurance contributions ("opted-out married women") will be eligible for SMP, as they are for maternity pay and statutory sick pay.We envisage that the flat-rate element would be aligned with that rate of statutory sick pay which is at present £31·60 a week. Like statutory sick pay and the present maternity pay, both the earnings-related and the flat-rate elements will count as taxable income. They will also be taken into account in determining national insurance liability under the normal rules.The consultation paper proposed that, in order to qualify, the woman's average earnings should be at or above the lower earnings limit for national insurance contributions (f38·00 a week in current terms) for 26 weeks. There were strong representations that such a long period would cause difficulties for employers, particularly those with computer payrolls. We therefore propose that the period should be reduced to eight weeks.We propose that the pont at which the earnings and employment tests are applied should be fixed at the 14th week before the baby is due. This is the earliest point at which a certificate of expected confinement can be issued.The consultation paper proposed that a woman should be able to choose, to some extent, the period over which she was absent from work. There was a wide welcome for this. We propose that there should be a "core" period of 13 weeks, starting six weeks before the week that the baby is due. A woman will be able to choose whether she takes the other five weeks before or after this core period, or some before and some after. A woman who works during any part of the core period will lose the flat-rate element correspondingly, since the aim is to ensure that, in the interests of her own and her baby's health, she should refrain from work for a reasonable period on either side of the date of the birth.As already announced, we propose that a pregnant widow should be able to get SMP without loss of her widow's benefit.We propose that, as with statutory sick pay, employers should recover their payments of SMP by deducting the appropriate amounts from their remittances of national insurance contributions and tax to the Inland Revenue. The need to make a special claim to the Department of Employment, as is currently required for maternity pay, will no longer apply.The maternity pay fund will be merged with the national insurance fund, and the DHSS will be responsible for SMP. National insurance inspectors will include checks on SMP in their visits to employers.If a woman does not qualify for SMP, she will qualify for a maternity allowance paid by DHSS if she has worked as an employed or self-employed person, and paid full-rate contributions, for at least 26 weeks out of the 52 weeks ending 14 weeks before the baby is due. The rate of this maternity allowance will be, as at present, the same as that of sickness benefit—£29·15 a week in current terms. It will run for 18 weeks—a core period of 13 weeks, and a choice about the other five, as proposed for SMP.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he proposes to communicate with the Canterbury and Thanet health authority about its decision to stop all routine pregnancy testing; and if he will make a statement.

No. I understand that the district health authority has recently revised its policy on pregnancy testing and that the new arrangements will be monitored for a period of six months with the help of the local community health council and family practitioner committee. At the end of this period the policy will be reviewed. In the meantime the health authority will continue to make local facilities freely available for pregnancy testing whenever general practitioners consider it necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek to make child benefit payable for children who continue to be educated at home after reaching the age of 16 years, having been educated at home before reaching that age.

Yes. An amendment to the Child Benefit Act is required and I have tabled an amendment to the Social Security Bill currently before the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what assessment he makes of the effect of the licence of right provisions on the availability of lower priced generic drugs to the National Health Service; what representations he has received on the terms on which such licences are granted to manufacturers independent of the patent holder; if there are any plans to abolish the licence of right provisions; and if he will make a statement.

The endorsement of pharmaceutical patents, "licence of right", has in some cases enabled other suppliers to enter the market and compete with the patent holder at a lower price level. Loss of sales revenue to the patent holder encourages him to seek increases in prices elsewhere in his product range, inter alia to maintain his research capability.Policy on patents is for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. I am aware that individual generic and research based pharmaceutical companies and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry have made representations to the Government on the terms for the settlement of licences of right.The ABPI has also produced evidence to show that since the introduction of the Patents Act 1977, which extended the term of existing patents by four years subject to licences of right, there has been a significant lengthening of the period between the grant of a patent and a product licence for pharmaceuticals for human

treatment. As announced by my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 14 April, the Government intend to introduce legislation to provide that such pharmaceuticals should be exempt from the licence of right provisions contained in schedule 1, paragraph 4(2)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the next pharmaceutical price regulation scheme will come into effect; and if he will make a statement outlining the changes it contains in profitability and promotion targets for the pharmaceutical industry from the present scheme.

Renegotiation of the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme has not been completed. I am not therefore able to predict what changes might be made.